Aishvarya Arora, the only student from Queens who was named a semifinalist in the Intel Science Talent Search, was presented a commendation by Congresswoman Grace Meng last week at St. Francis Prep in Fresh Meadows.

Out of thousands of students who entered Intel’s prestigious Talent Search, only 300 were selected as semifinalists; Arora being the only one from Queens

A senior at St. Francis Preparatory, Arora was recognized for her 23-page research paper on the effect of Body Dimorphic Disorder, a psychological illness that alters the way people view their bodies.

Arora says that she wants to pursue a career in Behavioral Neural Psychology, and has already submitted her college applications to schools such as Vassar, Brown, and Wesleyan.

“Wesleyan is my top choice,” said Arora.

Meng, whose younger brother is a St. Francis alumnus, was joined by state senators Toby Ann Stavisky, Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. and Michael Gianaris in congratulating Arora for her outstanding achievement.

“My brother went here when he was in high school, and he just had his ten-year reunion,” Meng told students on hand to witness the presentation.

Also present were Brother Leonard Conway, principal of St. Francis, and Arora’s research advisor, Mary Ann Spicijaric. Arora thanked both her mentors and her peers upon receiving the award, and showed an even bigger sign of appreciation for her parents, who were sitting directly in front of her.

“It’s not just me that did this work, I got so much help from everyone around me,” she said. “And I want to thank my parents, I couldn’t have done it without them.”